Tips and tricks that can help you prevent and treat a dry, bloody nose during the cold, dry winters.

As the coldest months of the winter begin to make their ominous approach, so too does the impending threat of a dry, bloody nose. The threat is much worse for those who spend most of their time in a warm climate and make trips to have recently moved to a cold weather climate, as well as those who venture high into the mountains to make use of the snow for a skiing or snowboarding adventure. Thankfully, there are ways to combat it and treat it so as to have a pain-free and comfortable winter season.

The first step is preventative measures. These tips are especially important for those coming from warm climates, especially those that are humid, as the change from warm and wet to cold and dry can immediately turn a comfortable nose into a painful one. One of the best ways is to invest in a humidifier, which can keep the room moist enough to prevent the dry air from drying out your nose, which can lead to nose bleeds and pain. Humidifiers can be cheap or expensive, though you don’t need to spend a ton of money to find an effective one.

Other possible ways to prevent the nose from drying out is to purchase a saline nose spray that can be used several times throughout the day. This will keep your nasal passages moist and lubricated, which helps to prevent nasal mucus from drying out and hardening, which can lead to pain, discomfort, and a bloody nose. If your nose has already dried out, the nasal spray can be used to moisten the nasal mucus and allow you to more efficiently blow your nose and expel it.

Other simple tips include taking a hot shower (as hot as you can tolerate), which allows the room to fill up with steam. If you’d prefer to not take a shower, you can use a tea kettle or boil some water and breathe in the fumes. The extra humidity and heat will loosen the nasal mucus, allowing you to blow your nose and clear your nasal passages.

When you sleep at night, using the humidifier in conjunction with nasal spray can be helped with the use of nasal strips. These small pieces of plastic or fabric are placed on the outside of the nose and hold the nasal passages open while you sleep. This not only increases your ability to breathe but can prevent frequent snoring as well.

Spring and summer may be horrible seasons for allergy sufferers, but winter doesn’t discriminate. If you have yet to acclimate yourself to cold weather, it is best to follow the aforementioned steps to prevent yourself from having an uncomfortable and painful winter season.